Their Struggle
by AmorFati32
Summary: Post-episode for My Struggle II, picking up things a few days later. Scully tracks down William in time to save her partner, but what happens next?
1. Chapter 1

**This is what happens when I get bored.**

 **Spoilers for the Revival and My Struggle - oh and William too**

"Why did you do it?"

Scully looked up, meeting the all-too-familiar face in front of her. She took in the pain lurking between the person's eyes and immediately lowered her gaze, the regret and guilt becoming too much for her. Feeling tears stinging her eyes she bit down hard on her lip, willing herself not to cry. She'd cried too much over the years and besides, this wasn't about her, not today. This was about the person sitting in front of her, a stranger but a stranger she'd recognize anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, Scully tried again, looking up at her son. William. She could hardly believe he was there – the past 48 hours had been such a blur that she could almost be convinced that she was hallucinating – but there he was, all five foot eight of him, her eyes, colouring and nose; Mulder's lips, ears and chin. The perfect combination of the two of them. William too looked as though he was having a hard time taking it all in, not that Scully could blame him. As Mulder lay close to death in the car on the bridge in DC Scully knew that there was only one way to save him, and that William was the key to his survival. It was a race against time – she had immediately called Skinner, urgently needing his help in locating her son, and he didn't let her down. Unbeknown to her, Skinner had been keeping tabs on William over the years, wanting to ensure that the youngster was indeed safe. Just a few hours later a bewildered William and his adoptive parents were on a plane heading to DC. Scully didn't have time to explain everything to William so she simply stuck to the essential facts – she and Mulder were his biological parents, a contagion was threatening to wipe out America's population and William – thanks to his real parents – was immune. His blood was needed to help produce a vaccine against the virus. But Scully knew this was a big ask for such a young boy, and so she'd stressed that somehow she would find a way to help Mulder, even if William or his parents didn't want to.

She'd left the family to mull it over as she rushed to Mulder's hospital bedside to check on her partner. He was barely lucid, but alive. Just. "He's here Mulder," she'd told her partner, tears falling as she kissed his cheek. "He's here and he looks just like you. He's beautiful." She knew that whatever happened, even if William decided not to help them, Mulder would be proud just to lay eyes on his son.

But William had agreed. His adoptive parents, Michael and Susan, had gone along with his decision, though they of course had a lot of questions, which Scully rushed to answer. So Scully had taken her son into the hospital laboratory, retrieved a vial of his blood and then worked through the night to produce the much-needed vaccine.

Twelve hours later and Mulder's situation had reversed. He was on the road to recovery, as was Special Agent Einstein. William and his adoptive parents had been taken to a nearby hotel to rest, but now he was back and wanted answers from Scully.

"It was the last thing I wanted to do," Scully replied softly.

William was Mulder's son through and through however, and was in a hurry for answers. "So then why did you do it? Why did you put me up for adoption? Didn't you want me?"

"Of course I did," Scully stressed. It hurt her to see William looking so distraught and so alone. She desperately wanted to reach out and take him into her arms but she knew it wouldn't be welcome. Baby steps. Right now she was just grateful he wanted to talk to her, even though it was gearing up to be a painful conversation. "I wanted you so much it hurt. A few years before you were born I was told that I couldn't have children. But your dad, Mulder, he told me not to give up. We tried in-vitro fertilisation but it didn't work, and then we ended up conceiving you the old fashioned way." Both she and William blushed. "You were our miracle," she continued. "And I will never forget the moment you were first placed into my arms…" Scully sniffed, wiping her eyes. Fifteen years may have passed but she could still recall the soft, warm weight of her baby boy being placed into her arms; the relief as Billy Miles and his friends left them alone; and the look of pure joy and wonderment on Mulder's face as he first laid eyes on their healthy son. "You were wanted, don't ever think otherwise."

"If you wanted me, then why did you get rid of me?" William asked, immediately regretting his choice of words when Scully flinched.

"There were men out there who wanted to hurt you and your father. Threats were made against you both and so your dad…we made the decision that it would be safer for everyone for him to leave and go into hiding. We thought that people would leave you alone but they didn't, and they tried to take you from me-"

"Why?"

"Because they thought you were something that you're not."

"What?"

"That you were their savour."

William laughed, shaking his head dismissively until he realized that Scully wasn't sharing the joke. "Oh come on!"

"You were a miracle to us William, but that was all. They didn't agree. You were in danger and I couldn't keep you safe anymore and so I…" The memories and guilt that she'd kept locked away became too much for Scully and she began to cry softly. It had been a long week for her – for all of them – and she finally had her son back, though William was looking at her with what looked like anger and disgust. Of course he would be angry with her, she knew he would be, but it still hurt.

"It was the hardest decision I have ever made, and it's haunted me ever since. I needed you to be safe and I did what I thought was best. But there hasn't been a day go by when I haven't thought of you or missed you or wished that things could have been different. Don't think for a second that your father and I didn't love you. We did this because we loved you."

William was quiet as he processed her words. "Where are those people now?" he asked quietly, leaning forward in his chair. "Are they responsible for what's happening now with the virus?"

Scully didn't say anything, she didn't have to.

"Wow."

"It's a lot to take in."

The teenager huffed out a laugh. "You're telling me."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head, dismissing her apology. "I've always known I was adopted," he explained. "My parents, they were always…sorry…"

"Don't be. They're your parents too. They've loved you and cared for you over the years. I owe them a lot." And Scully meant it too. She felt nothing but love and appreciation for Michael and Susan, for bringing up her son to be a polite, inquisitive and intelligent young man.

"They've always been honest with me, so I knew I wasn't really their son. Well this gave it away too," he added with a small grin, pointing to his dark auburn hair.

Scully allowed herself to smile too. Yes he was Mulder's son through and through, but she could also see herself in the teenager. "I'm sorry about that," she said, gesturing to her own hair. "I was hoping you'd be dark like Mulder but my genes won out."

"How's he doing?" William asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Much better thanks to you. I know it was a lot to ask of you, especially considering everything we've put you through."

"I've been happy," the teenager insisted. "They've been good to me."

"I'm glad."

"They've kept me safe and loved."

"That's all I ever wanted for you."

"But I always wondered about my real parents. I wanted to know more about them, whether I looked like them or behaved like them. Whether they got into trouble at school like I did."

Scully grinned. "Your dad certainly did."

"And I wanted to know why…why they didn't want me." Suddenly William's face crumpled in pain. He reached up, quickly rubbing his eyes before the tears could fall. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "It's been a long few days."

Scully nodded in understanding, then before she could stop herself, she got to her feet and closed the gap between the two of them, wrapping her arms around her son. Rising from his own chair, William went willingly into his mom's arms. For the first time in over 14 years Scully was holding her little boy – who wasn't so little anymore. "Don't ever think you weren't wanted William, because you were, more than anything. And your father and I loved you – and still love you – so so much. I wish we could have all been together as a family, I really do. I'm so proud of you and you should be too after everything you've been through. You're a fine young man, and I know that I have a lot to thank your parents for." And she would too. Before William and his parents left to return to Wyoming, Scully would ensure that she spoke with them properly, and to thank them for loving her baby. "I'm sorry for upsetting you and for dragging you into all of this."

William pulled back and his mom took the opportunity to brush his tears away. "I'm glad I got to meet you."

His words meant more to Scully than she could ever explain. "Me too baby, me too."

"Dana? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"If this hadn't happened…if you hadn't needed my blood…would you have tried to find me?"

After everything she'd put him through, Scully knew that William deserved to hear the truth. "I thought about it every single day, trying to find you and get you back, or just checking in on you from time to time," she admitted. "But it wouldn't have been fair on you or your parents. But you're your father's son William. Mulder never gave up on his family too, and I think curiosity would have gotten the better of you. You would have found us, I'm sure of it."

After a moment William nodded in agreement. "I was thinking about it. Mom and dad said they would support me if I decided to but…" he paused.

"But?"

"I was too scared. I didn't want to turn up on your doorstep to find that you didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"We would have been delighted to see you."

"I know that now," William replied, his expression suggesting otherwise and that Scully's words were news to him. "Dana?"

"Hmm?"

"When this is over…when I go home?"

"Yes?" Scully didn't want to think about that, but she knew it would happen sooner rather than later. The vaccine had worked and was being duplicated. William's job was essentially done, and she was sure that Michael and Susan would be wanting to go home soon. They had been patient and accommodating so far, allowing William some time with his birth mother, and Scully was grateful to them for giving them some space.

"Can I call you or something? Maybe? I mean maybe not every day, but from time to time?"

Scully let out the breath she'd been holding. Until that moment she hadn't realized that was exactly what she was hoping he'd say. "Of course you can. I'd like that."

"Or you guys could come to Wyoming. I mean there isn't much there so I'd understand if you don't want to but…I'd like to get to know you both, if that's ok?"

"It's more than ok, if it's ok with your parents."

"I'm sure they'd be fine. I'll ask though," he added, relenting.

"William, the fact that you're still here after everything I've put you through means so much to me. Anything else is a bonus."

William shrugged, clearly embarrassed. "You're my mom," he explained casually, and Scully's eyes filled with tears once more. "I'd like to find out more about you and your family. And Mulder, I'd like to meet him when he's feeling better.

"He's itching to meet you too, when you're ready."

"I'm ready as soon as he's up for visitors."

Smiling to herself, Scully nodded. "Well then, there's no time like the present. Are you ready?"

"Let's go." As they moved to exit the family room, William reached out and took hold of Scully's hand, preparing to meet his father for the first time in fifteen years.


	2. Chapter 2

**You asked for more - you got it!  
**

Scully hesitated as she and William reached the door to Mulder's hospital room. Her partner appeared to be sleeping and the last thing she wanted to do was wake him. Glancing up at William, Scully could sense the anticipation in her son's eyes. She could tell he was both excited and nervous for this moment – to see his biological father for the first time in well over fourteen years. Maybe this would be easier, she thought to herself. If Mulder was unconscious, William would at least be able to get his bearings before his dad woke.

Opening the door, Scully swallowed hard as Mulder suddenly opened his eyes and glanced over in their direction. She could see the moment that it dawned on him just who was stood next to her. His eyes widened as he looked William up and down, and his lips curved up into a proud smile. Aware of William's nervousness, Scully spoke first, not wanting her partner to put their son on the spot. She knew only too well the things Mulder said when he was drugged in a hospital bed. "Hey. You're awake."

Mulder tore his eyes away from William briefly to glance over at his partner. "Just about."

"How are you feeling" Leaving William's side, Scully approached the bed, reaching out to run a hand through Mulder's hair.

"Much better."

She looked at him skeptically. "Your body's been through a lot."

"I've had worse."

Rolling her eyes, Scully glanced back at William. "He's just trying to act macho in front of you."

"Ok, ok," Mulder relented. "The truth is I feel like I've been hit by a truck and reversed over for good measure. But I do feel a lot better than I did, no thanks to you," he added, his breath hitching as he made eye contact with William for the first time in years.

"Mulder, this is William," Scully said, making the introduction.

William smiled shyly, standing with his hands in his pockets. He looked so nervous, so hopeful and yet cautious, as though waiting for Mulder to pass judgement on him. Thankfully he had nothing to worry about.

"My boy," Mulder whispered, his voice barely audible as he reached out for his son, before collecting himself and lowering his arm back down on the bed. William however, took the hint and approached the bed.

"Hi," he said, the nerves evident in his voice. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Chuckling to himself, Mulder nodded. "Yeah, yeah it is." He looked up at Scully, meeting her teary gaze with his own. Scully's expression reflected his own – it was one of shock, pride and disbelief. Finally, after all these years, their son was finally with them. He was healthy and he was happy, and that was all that they ever wanted for him. "I owe you a thank you," Mulder continued. "A big thank you. I know this has been a crazy week and we asked a hell of a lot of you. And I owe you an apology too –"

"It's fine," William protested, his eyes narrowing when he noticed Mulder reach out and nudge Scully. "What?"

"Your mom says that a lot too, and I don't believe her either."

There was a moment of awkward silence before Scully moved in to try and ease the tension. "I'm going to pop and grab a drink from the cafeteria. William, would you like anything?"

William shook his head before he realized that Scully was making her excuses to give him and Mulder some time alone. "On second thoughts, a coke would be great."

"I'll have what he's having."

Mulder's suggestion was greeted with a raised eyebrow. "You'll get what the nurses give you."

"Oh come on Scully…please?" A close encounter with death meant there was a chance Scully would give in to him faster than normal.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Oh and have a word with the nurse on your way out and see if you can grab me a wheelchair."

"What? Mulder, no!"

"Why not? I feel better."

"That's not the point and you know it."

"It's a beautiful day outside."

"And thanks to William tomorrow will be a beautiful day for you, and the next day, and the next."

"Scully –"

"No wheelchair, not today." Sighing in amusement, Scully turned to William. "I'll be back shortly. Keep an eye on your…on Mulder. Don't let him talk you into anything while I'm gone." She bent quickly and pecked Mulder on the lips then froze momentarily before regaining her senses. "Be good."

"Always."

And with that she wandered out of the room, leaving father and son alone. Mulder counted to ten before grinning up at William. "Wanna help me break out of this joint?"

Xxx

Like father, like son, Mulder thought to himself as William wheeled him out of the doors and into the hospital yard. He was glad William had inherited a fondness for breaking the rules, even though Scully would likely panic when she returned to his room to find them both gone. They hadn't even had to ask the nurse – William had simply disappeared for a matter of minutes, returning with a wheelchair and blanket he'd stolen along the way. His willingness to go along with Mulder's escape plan had helped to break the ice between them, and as William brought the wheelchair to a stop by a bench, both parties seemed more relaxed. "Is here ok?"

Mulder took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air invade his lungs. Just a few days ago he didn't think he'd ever see the outside world again, but here he was, thanks to William. "Here's fine, thank you." He watched as the youngster took a seat next to him. "I meant what I said back inside William…William, or Will?"

"I like both," the teenager replied. "Will's good. My friends call me Will."

Mulder nodded, his heart inflating at his son's words. "I owe you a huge thank you. This whole country does."

William shrugged. "It was just a little blood. It was nothing."

"It was everything," Mulder replied. "And it wasn't just the fact you gave some of your blood, it's that you gave it to me, after everything. And you're still here now. That means more to me than you'll ever know."

"I think I have an idea." William gave his dad a small smile as he caught his eye. "I wanted to meet you, and my…my parents said we could stay a while longer so I could do that. I wanted to see you both before we left. I've always been curious about you."

"Were we what you expected?"

"Not even close," William replied, and Mulder chuckled. "I just didn't expect you to be so…"

"So…?"

"I don't know. I didn't expect you to still be together for starters." William paused, catching sight of Mulder's sheepish expression. "You are together, right?"

"It's complicated."

"How complicated?"

"I don't know what your mom…what Dana has told you."

"She told me why I was adopted. That there were people after you."

Mulder nodded. "Just after you were…adopted…" William noticed that Mulder was struggling to say the word, as though it was an open wound. "I was accused of a crime I didn't commit."

"By the same people?"

"Yeah." The kid was smart. "I went back on the run, and this time your mom came with me. It was a few years before she was safe to show her face in public again – as herself I mean – and longer still before I was finally exonerated. The first thing I did when I was free again was propose to her. It was on vacation, in Mexico," he added, smiling at the memory. "I figured it had been long enough, and after everything we'd been through we deserved a slither of happiness. We got married just after we got back home. It was just a small affair, with a few friends and your grandma…." Mulder sobered, his heart aching as he realized William would never know Maggie. "She was there too."

"Then what happened?"

"Your mom and I have been through a lot over the years."

"I'm starting to realize that."

"There was a lot to deal with and I guess I didn't deal with it well. I was angry and bitter, and I started to withdraw. Your mom tried her best but I was suffering with depression and I didn't want to let her in. I was difficult to live with, let alone love, and your mom had enough of me pushing her away and eventually left. We talk a lot and we've been working together recently, but that we're still separated."

"But you guys seem close," William protested, clearly not liking the thought of his parents apart. "And Dana kissed you back in your hospital room."

"Things have gotten a little better recently. I'm seeing a therapist and getting help and trying not to be as much of an asshole as I once was. It's baby steps."

"Dana was out of her mind when I first got here. She thought you were going to die."

"Oh there's still a lot of love there William. We've been through too much together to lose that. But we can't just go back to how it was. That doesn't mean we won't work at it though. I'm not going to give your mom up without a fight."

William smiled sadly. "I hope you guys work things out."

"Me too." Mulder sighed. "So what did you expect when you imagined us?"

"I guess I thought you would be a lot younger." A flush crept over William's face as he realized his words could offend. "I mean, I don't know, I guess I just thought that you'd been kid when…when my mom got pregnant, and that you couldn't cope, and that's why you didn't want me."

"We wanted you more than anything," Mulder stressed, hating himself for William's insecurities.

"I know that now. But at the time I thought you could have been too young, or deadbeats, or you just didn't want kids. I had so many different scenarios in my head, but I just didn't imagine it was like this. I always thought you didn't want me." William shrugged. "I'm just sorry you guys had to go through all that."

Mulder shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. After everything you've been through, we're the ones who are sorry, for everything. Your mom and I have regretted every day we haven't spent with you."

"I know."

"How was it? Growing up with your…with the….?"

"My other parents?" William offered hesitantly, and Mulder nodded. "It's been ok. They've been great, and kind and loving. Their curfew is a little too early to my liking, but their punishments aren't too harsh if I break it," he added with a grin. "They've always been honest with me about the adoption too. I've always known they weren't my real parents, but they've never treated me any differently."

"Good, I'm glad," Mulder replied. "Not that it makes me feel any less guilty for what happened, but I'm glad you've had the love and support you deserve. That was one of my biggest worries about you. I know what it's like to grow up in a household where you don't always get the love you need."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"Your parents?"

"My father mostly. He and I never really saw eye to eye, and I often felt that he blamed me for a lot of things. My mom tried her best, but then she and my father separated and I…well I took the opportunity to leave home as soon as I could."

"Do you still see them?"

Mulder shook his head. "They've both passed now."

"I'm sorry." William thought for a moment. "What about my other grandparents? Dana's parents?"

"Her father died not long after I met her. Your grandmother, Maggie, she died a couple of weeks ago. I'm so sorry Will."

William's eyes filled with tears as he processed Mulder's words. "Wow. Umm…What was she like?"

"She was amazing. She was beautiful, kid and welcoming. She was always so good to me, even when I didn't deserve her kindness."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm bad news kiddo. I was even more of a disaster back then."

"I think you're kinda cool," said William. "You're kicking ass with this virus."

"Are you allowed to cuss?"

William grinned. "It's not a cuss word."

"It isn't?"

"Well…"

"Let me guess, it depends who you ask?"

William nodded. "You're trying to change the subject," he said knowingly. "You seem to have a low opinion of yourself, but I think you're cool, Dana clearly does, and my grandma thought so too. You're outnumbered."

Mulder smiled gratefully at this son. "You know Will, I always knew we'd meet. I always thought about how it would go, but this surpasses everything I've ever imagined."

William frowned at his father, in a move not too unlike Scully in another life, when she was getting ready to refute his suggestion of the paranormal. "You thought we'd meet? How?"

"We would have found one another."

"But m…Dana said that you hadn't looked, that you didn't want to so as to not unsettle me."

"My sister went missing when I was twelve years old," Mulder admitted. Though Samantha's abduction was decades ago, it still pained him. "I never stopped looking for her, not until I found answers, and I would have found you too. Or hell, you've got half my genes, I'm sure curiosity would have gotten the better of you."

William nodded. "I was already starting to look for you."

His father smiled. "Me too."

"Really?"

"Your mom didn't know because I'd only just started. I didn't want to upset her and give her false hope. She's been beating herself up over your adoption ever since the day it happened. She's never stopped regretting it, neither of us have. I think at the very least we both wanted a chance to see you and to tell you how sorry we truly are."

"And here we are."

"Here we are."

"Did you ever find your sister?"

Mulder shook his head. "I found out that she'd died. I never found her body though, but I had a sense of closure."

"I'm sorry. What was her name?"

"Samantha."

William smiled sadly. "That's a nice name." His smile faded. "So many people have died."

"I'm sorry. Did you envision a big family?"

The teenager shrugged. "I tried not to think about it too much. When I was younger I used to wonder whether I had any brothers or sisters, whether you had any other kids."

Mulder shook his head. "Your mom was told she couldn't have children. You were our miracle."

"That's what she told me."

"We were always careful after that." He noticed William grimace and smirked. "Too much information, I know. But after you were gone we didn't want any more children, it wasn't fair on you. We just wanted you back, but we knew that couldn't happen."

"Yeah."

"But you're here now, and I'm glad we've had the chance to explain and to apologize and…" Mulder took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. "You know, I never remember my dad encouraging me as a kid. I never once recall him telling me he was proud of me or that he loved me. Just before I left you and your mom, you and I had a man to man chat. Well, I was talking and you looked as though you were listening. I wasn't sure when I'd next see you and I wanted you to know that whatever happened, whatever path you chose in life that I would be proud of you, and I'd love you no matter what. I stand by that Will. You're already a fine, young man with a pretty sensible head on his shoulders. Thankfully you've inherited that from your mom and your other parents, and I'm grateful for that. For many things actually. I'm so proud of you Will, and though I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, and you have every right to hate me, I love you. Nothing will ever change that."

"I don't hate you," William replied, sniffing. "I would never hate you. You're my dad."

Mulder rushed to brush away his tears but William noticed the movement. He smiled sadly. "It makes me sad and angry to hear what you guys went through and why we couldn't be together. And I don't wish you ill or anything, but I'm glad we're here."

"Me too buddy," Mulder replied, his tears now falling freely as William reached out and placed his hand on his dad's arm. They stayed like that momentarily, until Mulder reached out and embraced his son awkwardly, the wheelchair getting in the way.

"I thought I'd find you two out here," came a voice from their right, minutes later. Both Mulder and William broke apart and looked over at Scully's playful eyes. "I leave you alone for two minutes and you make a break for it."

"I'm sorry," William began, but Mulder interrupted.

"It was my fault Scully, I forced the kid to break me out."

"Oh I don't doubt that." She held up the can of coke she held in her hand. "William, I got you this, but Michael and Sue are in the waiting room."

"Right." Both adults detected the disappointment in William's voice. "Do I have to go now?"

Scully's face said it all. "It's getting late," was her response. "But they have suggested you might like to come back tomorrow, if you –"

"That would be great," William replied enthusiastically. "If that's ok?"

"Of course it is, I'll still be here," said Mulder. "Unless I can convince the doctor to –"

"We'll still be here William," Scully answered.

"You can call me Will."

"His friends call him Will," Mulder volunteered, winking over at Scully as William got to his feet.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow then," William said, smiling at them both. "It's been good to meet you."

"You too."

"Take care Will. We'll see you tomorrow."

As William headed back inside, Scully wandered over towards Mulder and took a seat next to him on the bench, immediately taking hold of his hand. "Look at him Mulder."

"I know." He shook his head. "I'm half convinced I'm hallucinating."

"He's here."

"He is."

"And he wants to know us."

"He's awesome." Mulder's smile faded. "So you've met…?"

"His parents?"

"Yeah." He shook his head. "It feels so wrong calling them that."

"They are though Mulder. They've raised him. And yes, I've met them."

"What are they like?"

"They seem nice. And they're patient too, and happy for William to spend time with us. They've said he can spend the whole day with us tomorrow too."

"The whole day?"

"Yeah." Scully got to her feet. "So you need to rest up Mr." She moved to wheel him back inside but Mulder reached out and took hold of her hand, tugging her downwards so she was at eye level with him.

"Thank you Scully," he whispered, pulling her in for a chaste kiss. "For William. For everything."

She grinned. "Come on Romeo, let's get you back to bed."

"Woohaa!"

"You wish Mulder, you wish", she said, wheeling him back indoors, both of them feeling better than they had done in a long long time.


	3. Chapter 3

"Dagoo!" Scully hissed at the dog, dragging him off of the sofa where until just moments ago he'd been sleeping peacefully. Satisfied that the dog was no longer on the furniture, she set about brushing the fur off of the sofa and shaking the cushions. "That damn dog."

"It's your damn dog Scully," said Mulder as he walked down the stairs, pulling down the sweater he'd just changed into. "He might live here, but you're the one who stole him."

"Maybe we should put him outside for the afternoon," Scully said to herself, as Dagoo crawled underneath the coffee table, having decided that it was the safest place for him, at least for the time being.

"Outside? Yeah that'll work well. The last time we left him outside unattended he brought us back three dead birds and a rabbit. Do you really want to deal with that over lunch?"

He had a point and Scully knew it. "No," she reluctantly conceded.

"Relax Scully." Mulder continued, coming to stand behind her, reaching out to place his hands on her shoulders, massaging them gently. He was relieved when she didn't pull away. "It'll be fine. Dagoo will leave the birds alone and try not to pee on the visitors. I'll be on my best behavior too, and I'll also try not to pee on the visitors."

"Mulder –"

"Scully, you've met Mike and Susan before, you said they were nice and they seem to like you –"

"They don't like me. They judge me for giving my baby up for adoption."

"Our baby," Mulder corrected, and Scully nodded, turning in his arms to shoot him an apologetic smile. "We gave him up," he added, hating the way that Scully took sole responsibility for what happened. He was as much to blame, if not more. "And they don't hate you. The very fact they're letting William get to know us proves that. Will loves you already, and I've no doubt he'll love Dagoo too, so just stop worrying."

"I just want this to go well," she admitted. "They're heading back to Wyoming soon, and I'd like for us to spend as much time with William as much as possible before they go."

"I'm certain Will does too. You said yourself that they seem like nice people Scully. It'll go fine today, I promise."

At least Mulder hoped it would. It had been the idea of William's adopted parents for the five of them to meet for lunch now that Mulder was out of the hospital. Mulder and Scully had readily agreed – any excuse to spend more time with their son. They'd expected to meet somewhere neutral in DC, but it had been William's idea for them to go to the unremarkable house. He was intrigued about where his birth parents – or at least one of them – lived. And so Scully had arrived at the crack of dawn to tidy up and make a start on lunch. She was nervous, Mulder could tell, and he knew that she wanted to make a good impression. He too wanted everything to go well – William's opinion of them mattered to him more than anything, and of course he didn't want to let Scully down. Though she'd already had dealings with Michael and Susan, as had he, albeit briefly, today was a big day, for all of them.

"I hope so."

"When have I ever been wrong?"

Finally Scully seemed to relax, and Mulder knew it was the right thing to say when his partner smirked up at him. "Countless times. Would you like me to list them?"

"Go on."

"How about the time when –"

"Alright, alright, I take your point. But when have I ever been wrong about th…?" He trailed off when he realized that Scully wasn't listening to a word he was saying, her attention was elsewhere. Moments later she pushed past Mulder, peering out of the window. "They're here," she said, running a hand through her hair. She glanced around the room nervously. "Oh god Mulder, what if they hate it?"

"They won't," he reassured her, squeezing her hand as he headed towards the front door. "They'll love it."

xxxxxx

Mulder was right. William – and his parents – seemed impressed, particularly with Dagoo who, besides getting a little overexcited at having new people to play with, behaved impeccably.

Mulder surprised himself too by enjoying the day. When he'd met the other couple previously, he wasn't entirely sure what to make of them, half wondering whether they judged him and Scully to be bad parents for giving William up for adoption. But, after spending time with them over lunch, he realized that they didn't, and were in fact simply grateful that William had come into their lives. They were nice people too – friendly and polite – and it was clear that they adored William. But they seemed more than happy to let William get to know his birth parents, and for that Mulder was grateful. Despite the horrors of the past week – memories of viruses and being called across the country on a rescue mission – still fresh in their minds, they kept the conversation light, focusing on William as he talked about his friends, school and hobbies. He excelled in science, to Scully's delight; was on the swim team, ran track and liked baseball, but wasn't particularly good at it, or so he said. Mulder somehow doubted that. He wished he could have taught his son how to play, but tried not to dwell on it. He had hope now, hope that maybe even one day he and William could go to a game, but he knew that would be a long way off.

As the adults around the table listened to Will, Dagoo sat patiently by the teenager's feet, staring up at him with pleading eyes, a move that didn't go unnoticed by Scully.

"Just ignore him William," said Scully. "Don't let Dagoo steal your food from you. Anyone would think we never fed him."

"How long have you had him?" Michael asked.

"Just a few months. We rescued him."

"Scully stole him," Mulder said with a smile, ignoring the warning look his partner was shooting him.

"I rescued him from a pound. I was concerned for his welfare."

"And our lives haven't been the same since."

"He seems pretty well behaved," Will commented, setting down his cutlery to direct his attention to the dog.

"Oh, don't let him fool you."

"Could I maybe take him out for a walk soon?" He asked hopefully, looking between his parents. Mulder and Scully took a backseat, not wanting to be seen as interfering.

"If that's ok with Mulder and Dana," said his adoptive father, and the couple nodded.

"Sure."

"After you've helped with the dishes," Susan warned her son.

"Oh it's fine, Mulder will do those. He's well trained. Well…" Scully added, smirking. "At doing the dishes anyway."

"Ha-ha," Mulder deadpanned. He turned to William. "I'll get his leash but you shouldn't need it. He's a little scared of cats but tends to run off in the other direction if he sees one, so you shouldn't have a fight on your hands."

"Did you want dessert now or when you're back?" Scully asked.

Will patted his non-existent belly. "I'm full," he said. "Maybe when I get back?" Scully nodded, and so Mulder got up to find Dagoo's leash.

"You're full? That's a first."

Mulder returned with the lead, and handed it to William. Dagoo, seeing the familiar leash, sprang into action, jumping up at William and wagging his tail excitedly, realizing a walk was in his future.

"I won't be long," Will promised. "And we won't go too far. C'mon Dagoo!" He said, getting to his feet and heading towards the front door. Remembering his manners, he rushed back over to the dining table, giving Scully a grateful hug. "Thanks for lunch Dana, it was great." With that, he then lead Dagoo towards the front door, leaving his parents – all four of them – alone to get to know one another.

xxxxxxx

"This is a great place you've got here," Susan commented to Scully as they began clearing up the dishes. Mulder and Michael had volunteered to do the washing up and had disappeared into the kitchen.

"Thanks, it wasn't quite like this when we first bought it. A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this place."

"And you have a place in DC too?"

"Just an apartment," said Scully as she nodded. "It's a lot easier in terms of work, plus it gives Mulder a little break from me," she added with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry."

"You're not prying. The years haven't always been kind to us and recently they've taken their toll. We just need some time apart to heal."

Susan nodded in understanding, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't imagine what you've both been through."

"It hasn't been easy," Scully admitted. "But the past few days have helped. Mulder and I are just grateful that we've had the chance to see William again and explain everything to him. The last thing we wanted was for him to think he wasn't wanted."

"He's loved meeting you both too," said his other mother. "He's always wondered about you both, and we have too."

"So have we," said Scully. "We're glad he's had you both."

"We'd tried for so long to have children. William was a gift."

Scully knew exactly how she felt. Saying nothing, she led Susan into the kitchen where the men were waiting for the dishes. They'd been busy talking too from the looks of it, and Scully was glad that Mulder was making an effort. He seemed to be getting on well with both of William's parents, and for that she was grateful.

"We were just about to send out a search party," joked Mulder as they joined him by the window. Michael was distracted by something in the yard.

"I don't think we'll ever get him away from that dog," he said to his wife as she handed him the dishes and followed his gaze to see William running down the yard with the dog. "Dagoo has a friend for life."

"You're more than welcome to stay for dinner too if you don't already have plans?" Scully suggested.

"It's very kind of you, but Michael is meeting an old friend," his wife explained, and the man in question nodded.

"I haven't seen him in almost twenty years. He lives in Virginia so we're going to catch up over dinner." He looked over at his wife, as though asking her a silent question, and then he continued. "If you wanted we could collect Will on our way back tonight?"

"We don't want to ruin your plans for this evening," said Scully, though deep down she wanted nothing more to spend time with her son, and knew Mulder felt the same.

"Oh I'm sure Will would rather stay here than listen to my college years. Plus there aren't any dogs where we're going tonight."

"Well in that case that would be great," Mulder answered. "We'd be glad to have him."

"We umm…we also thought we'd let you know we've had to book our flights back to Wyoming."

Even though they knew it was bound to happen sooner rather than later, the words still hit Mulder and Scully hard. Swallowing hard, Scully forced a smile and nodded. "Of course."

"We're heading back on Saturday afternoon, that way Will can get himself together before school."

"That makes sense," Mulder replied, his eyes meeting Scully's and reflecting her pain.

"But we know he'd like to see as much of you both as possible in the meantime, so if you have any time -?"

"Oh we do. That would be great," she replied, aware that Mulder was in agreement. The X-Files, viruses, hospitals and everything else could wait while they spent some more time with their son. Their time with William would soon be coming to an end, and they were determined to make the most of it before they lost him again.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the week went by in a blur, with William spending as much time as possible getting to know Mulder and Scully, who was staying back at their house until Mulder was fighting fit once again – at least that was her excuse. But the time soon came for William and his parents to return to Wyoming. They'd invited Mulder and Scully to the airport to say a proper goodbye to their son, and the gesture was appreciated, though they hoped it was more of a 'see you soon' rather than a 'goodbye'. William had only just come back into their lives, and they didn't want to lose him now.

"Thank you for taking such good care of him," Scully sniffed, as she faced William's other parents. They'd all arrived at the airport early, allowing plenty of time to say goodbye. "He's a credit to you both."

Susan nodded, her own eyes filling with tears. "We should be thanking you. I'm sorry for everything you've been through, but we're so grateful for having William in our lives." The men looked on as the two women embraced. "We'll try and come back to DC in the summer," she added, looking over at William for confirmation. The teenager nodded enthusiastically.

"Or if you're ever out in the sticks give us a call," said Michael.

"Oh!" As his mothers pulled apart, William produced a slip of paper from the pocket of his jeans and presented it to Mulder. "I almost forgot," he said excitedly. "I've made a note of our address and my email and phone too. I've put the house phone number on there too, just in case you can't get through."

Mulder smiled, inwardly overwhelmed at how eager William seemed to be to stay in touch. "Thanks." Accepting the paper, Mulder then retrieved his cell phone from his jacket pocket. "If I can work this damn thing I'll give you our numbers too."

By the time Scully had returned to his side, William was finally armed with his parents' phone numbers, having helped Mulder with his own cell, to much amusement.

"It's almost time to go Will," Michael warned, not failing to notice the changes in everyone's demeanour as they realized it was time to say goodbye. "We'll give you a few minutes, but then we'll have to make a move."

"Ok." William watched as his parents made their way over to a nearby newsagents and began to browse the magazines on sale. When he glanced over at Mulder and Scully, his piercing blue eyes had filled with tears. "I don't want to go," he huffed. "It feels like I just got here."

"There'll be other times," said Mulder, hoping he was right. "In the meantime you've got our numbers, and we've got yours."

"Promise you'll stay in touch?" came a little voice, and for a moment Mulder and Scully got a glimpse of their son as a small child, hopeful yet afraid.

"Of course," Scully answered quickly. "If you want us to?"

"I do. I really do."

"In that case you won't be able to get rid of us," Scully told her son, who grinned. That was what he was hoping.

"It's been great meeting you. Surreal but great."

"I'll say." Mulder grinned. "Thank you again for everything you've done."

"You're welcome. I'd say "any time" but you really shouldn't make a habit of winding up in hospital."

Scully laughed. "Oh you don't know the half of it. We'll fill you in some time," she continued as William gave her a questioning glance. "Have a safe flight sweetheart." She couldn't help but notice the smile that appeared on her son's face at the term of endearment.

"We will." William kicked his foot against the ground, suddenly nervous. "I umm…I just wanted to say thank you too."

"For what?"

"For having me?" His face flushed a deep crimson. He'd definitely inherited Scully's coloring, she mused. "For making sure I was safe, even if it cost you your happiness, and for agreeing to spend time with me this past week. I used to worry that if ever I found you, you wouldn't want anything to do with me. It's been really cool getting to know you both."

"And you Will," said Mulder, stepping forward to place a hand on his son's shoulder. "We're sorry for all of the uncertainty we've caused over the years."

"Just know that you were wanted, very very much," Scully agreed. "You _are_ wanted, and you're loved."

Will's nervousness vanished in an instant, and his face lit up in delight. "Thanks mom," he said cheekily, as Scully choked back a sob. She said nothing, instead pulling her son into a tight hug, trying to show him just how much she'd missed him over the years. William seemed to understand, hugging her back just as tightly. Mulder looked on proudly with a smile on his face and a lump in his throat.

"Now you take care," Scully said, her voice catching as they pulled away. "Do as your parents tell you and work hard at school."

"I will." William smiled at Scully in mom mode.

"Let me know how your baseball match goes," said Mulder.

"I will," replied William, nodding enthusiastically. "Maybe you could come to a game sometime?"

"That would be great. I'm sure we could sort something," Mulder answered, realizing it was now his turn to say goodbye to the teenager. "You take care kiddo."

"You too." Will smirked. "You know where I am if you need me to save the world again."

Both Mulder and Scully chuckled. "Nice try," said Mulder. "But that won't get you out of your history test on Monday."

"You're no fun."

"So I'm told."

William surprised his dad by wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug. Relaxing, Mulder allowed himself to hug his son back. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, ok?" said Mulder, his voice strained with emotion. He'd promised himself he wouldn't cry but it was tough – they'd only just found their son again and the last thing they wanted to do was say goodbye to him again so soon.

"From the sounds of it there isn't much you wouldn't do."

William's words made Mulder laugh, and for a moment his heartache was forgotten. "Well in that case be careful."

"You too."

As Will broke away, he lowered his voice conspiratorially so only Mulder could hear. "Remember what I said. I don't think you're a loser, and neither does Dana. She loves you too."

Mulder smiled at his son's attempts to get his parents back together. He appreciated it. "Noted."

"Tell her how you feel then. Dinner and flowers wouldn't hurt either."

"Speaking from experience? Actually don't answer that, I don't think I want to know, but I repeat, be careful."

The three of them looked up as William's other parents approached them. "I'm sorry," Susan apologized, not wanting to rush but also mindful of the time. "We have to go."

William nodded, swallowing hard. "I'll see you soon?" he asked Mulder and Scully, who nodded hesitantly.

"You're welcome anytime," Susan insisted. "We'd be more than happy to have you." Though Mulder and Scully had met William's other parents just a handful of times, they'd found them to be friendly and welcoming, and seemed keen for Will to get to know his birth parents. They couldn't have asked for better people to bring up their son.

"We'll be in touch," said Mulder, reaching out to shake Michael's hand and peck Susan on the cheek. "It's been great to meet you both."

"Have a safe journey," Scully repeated, embracing them both. "And thank you," she sniffed. "Thank you for taking care of our baby."

"He's been such a precious gift," Susan replied.

"And he can hear you," said William. "I'm starting to think quite highly of myself now."

"No change there."

The teenager shot his dad a dirty look. "Funny." He watched as his parents picked up their bags, ready to go.

"Stay in touch," he pleaded, picking up his own rucksack.

"We will."

He quickly embraced Mulder and Scully once more for good measure. "See you soon."

"That's a promise."

Just as they were about to leave, Scully stopped her son. "Wait, there's something I want you to have," she said, reaching up around her collar. Mulder and William watched as she removed Maggie's pendant and held it out towards the teenager. "This was your grandmother's," she whispered. "I think she'd like you to have it."

"Really?" William looked up at his mom. He'd only known Scully for a week, but he knew how much Maggie had meant to her.

"She adored you," Scully replied, and Mulder nodded in agreement. "I know she'd have been so proud of you and wanted you to take care of this for her."

William took the pendant from his mom's hand. "I'll keep it safe," he promised. He had a photo of Maggie in his backpack, and Scully knew her son wished he could have met his grandma again. She did too. "Thank you." He hugged his mom once more, kissed her cheek and then followed his other parents towards the gate.

No sooner had they disappeared from sight, Scully burst into tears, turning to press her head into Mulder's chest. He wrapped his arms around his wife, feeling his own throat tighten. "These are good tears too, right Scully?" She nodded against him. "You heard him Scully, he wants to see us again. We can visit. This isn't like last time, we'll see him again and speak soon…" He paused as Scully's cell started ringing. "Is that you?"

"Umm…yeah. It's probably the hospital." Wiping her eyes, Scully retrieved her phone from her purse, frowning as she looked at the caller ID. "I don't know who it…hello?" she said as she answered the unknown caller. Moments later Mulder saw her smile, then pull away to look in the direction of the departure gate. "Do you miss us already?"

Realizing who the caller was, Mulder grinned before leaning in to listen to what William had to say. "…wanted to check I had the right number."

"Did you find your gate ok?"

"Yeah, we're almost there. It's boarding now so I'm going to have to hang up in a second. I just wanted to thank you again for the pendant."

"You're very welcome."

"I promise I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will. Your grandma would have wanted you to have it."

"I appreciate it. A lot. Ok…" William sighed. "We're here." He sounded as though he wasn't in any hurry to hang up.

"Take care."

"I will. Stay in touch."

"We will. You'll soon be sick of us."

William laughed. "I doubt it. And Dana?"

"Mmm?"

"Mulder loves you. A lot. I thought I'd tell you just in case he wimps out."

Scully smiled, looking up into the eyes of the man in question, who grinned back and shrugged. "I know," she replied. "And the feeling is mutual, so you can stop worrying."

Mulder let out the breath he'd been holding, and was pretty sure William had done the same. "Good," he heard his son say. "Ok, I'm going now before the security guy takes my phone. I'll call you when we land."

"I look forward to it."

"Bye."

"Bye." As the call ended, Scully placed her phone back in her purse.

"Everything ok?" Mulder asked.

Scully nodded, taking hold of his hand. "Everything is just fine."


	5. Chapter 5

Two months after saying goodbye to William at the airport, Mulder and Scully were in a hire car, heading out of another airport, this time preparing to say hello to their son.

They'd kept in touch since William and his other parents had returned home, with their son calling them once a week, emailing them whenever he was bored in his class (which was apparently a lot), and attempting the odd Skype session, which often ended with Mulder either cursing their Wi-Fi connection or his computer. A few weeks back, during a skype call, William had invited the two of them to his school's basketball tournament. It was a big day for him and he'd wanted both sets of parents there. Mulder and Scully had readily agreed – the hospital, the X-Files, everything could wait while they spent some quality time with their son. They knew it meant a lot to William too, to introduce his birth parents to his friends, and to show Mulder and Scully the place where he'd grown up.

"This place looks familiar," Scully commented as Mulder drove towards their destination. He followed her gaze out of the window of the car and nodded.

"I think we drove through here once and stayed not far from here," he replied, referring to the years they'd spent on the run.

Scully shook her head, half amazed, half sorrowful. "We were so close."

"Yeah."

"We may have even driven past them, or saw…"

"Don't Scully. We saw plenty of little boys over the years who could have been William, but we couldn't have done anything, even if we'd seen him."

"I know."

"Are you going to be ok this week?"

Scully tore her gaze from the window to frown at her partner. "Of course I am. I want to spend time with our son."

"That's not what I meant."

"I know exactly what you meant. You're worried this trip will just intensify my guilt and yes…it probably will. Every time we speak to Will I feel bad, and I can't help but think about everything I put him through and you too. I can't help but think about everything we've missed out on."

"I don't blame you for anything Scully, and neither does Will."

"Well sometimes I wish you would."

Reaching across the console, Mulder took hold of Scully's hand. "You're harsh enough on yourself. Just remember, for what it's worth, William thinks you're awesome and he can't wait to see you again. And for what it's worth, I think you're pretty cool too."

Squeezing her estranged husband's hand, Scully allowed herself a small smile. "It's worth a lot."

Xxxxx

Any doubts that Mulder or Scully had about visiting Wyoming vanished the second they pulled up to their son's house and he came running out to greet them, a big grin on his face. No sooner had they stepped out of their car then William was in their arms, giving them each a firm hug as he greeted them. That welcome alone was worth the traveling, the awful in-flight entertainment and the next few nights of sleeping in an uncomfortable bed in a motel room.

They received an equally warm welcome from William's other parents, who invited them into their house straight away and preceded to ply them with food and drink while they caught up with the latest happenings in their son's busy life. Once lunch was over and the dishes washed and returned to their cupboards, William gave Mulder and Scully a tour of the farmhouse, not too dissimilar to their own property back on the east coast. It was by no means a mansion but it had everything he could have needed, and there was a considerable yard for William and his friends to play out in. His room was that of a typical teenage boy – messy, full of trophies and posters of sports teams, including one of the Knicks that Mulder had sent him a few weeks back.

When they reconvened downstairs, William led Mulder over to the sofa, where Michael was waiting with an extra beer and baseball highlights on TV, while Scully followed Sue over to the dining table, to a pile of old photo albums. The two women sat down, and moments later William joined them.

"These are the first pictures we have of William," explained Sue, passing Scully a photo album in front of her.

Scully opened the album, her eyes focusing on a familiar image. She traced the image of William as a baby. This was the William she remembered, the one she'd cried over every night after she'd given him up for adoption. She nodded, feeling a lump form in her throat as she spotted the soft alien toy in William's tiny hand – the toy Mulder had brought for William when he was born. "And this was his birthday…"

Scully's gaze lingered on each of the photographs as she took in the images of William on his first birthday. He looked full of mischief and Scully had no doubt that at the time he'd been plotting mayhem. Her eyes filled with tears as she slowly flicked through the album, and William gave her a running commentary as she looked at all of the pictures.

"I look like you there," he stated, glancing between the page and his mom. "Oh this was my first birthday too," he said, catching sight of another image. "My other mom said at the time I got impatient and just grabbed a fistful of cake before the candle was blown out."

Scully nodded, unable to trust herself to speak. All she could think about was all of the birthdays she and Mulder had missed out on.

"And this was…" William paused, looking on in horror as Scully suddenly handed him the album, stood up and rushed to the front door, letting herself out of the house. Mulder looked up from the sofa, his eyes narrowing in concern. Noticing William's worried expression, Mulder gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll go."

Getting to his feet, Mulder made his way out of the house. As soon as he opened the door he spotted Scully, leaning against the porch railing. She didn't turn around, but Mulder knew that she knew he was there. He wandered over towards her, coming to a stop by her side. She was looking out into the Van de Kamp's impressive yard, not too dissimilar to their own, and Mulder could tell she was crying.

"Was it a mistake to come here so soon?" he asked. He wasn't about to ask whether Scully was ok – he knew she wasn't.

Scully glanced over at him, her expression a mixture of horror and fear, tears trailing down her cheeks. "No!" Is that what you think?"

"I just worry that we've barely got our heads around this. It's a lot to process, and there are a lot of old wounds that haven't fully healed."

"The fact that William wants anything to do with us is a blessing Mulder."

"I know that."

"We've already missed out on so much." She sniffed and turned away from him to wipe away her tears. Mulder noticed. "God Mulder, looking through all of those photographs, seeing all of the birthdays and Christmases and first days of schools…it should have been us." She choked back a sob. "I should never have given him up, I'm sorry."

"Hey." Unable to stop himself, Mulder reached out and enveloped Scully in his arms. You have nothing to apologize for. You did what you had to do to protect him. William knows that now."

"I ruin everything. William is the one relationship in my life where I have a chance to try and make things right. I've failed so many people…my family, William, you…"

"No you haven't Scully. Your family issues were always connected to me. Maggie loved you, and Bill loves you in his own way. William already adores you, I think he's already made that clear in the little time we've spent with him, and as for me…Scully you have never failed me, ever. You've supported me and stayed by my side for all of these years, and I'm just so unbelievably sorry that you haven't had the life you deserve. If anyone's failed, it's me, and I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make amends if you'll let me." He squeezed Scully tighter. "And in response to your question, no I don't think it was a mistake to come here. I love spending time with William as much as you…" He trailed off as he looked up and saw William standing nearby, and from the look on his face he'd been listening for some time. He gave his son a sad smile. "Hey," he said in greeting.

Scully pulled back, following his gaze over to their son, then hurriedly wiped her eyes. "Hi sweetheart," she said, forcing a smile. The endearment came naturally to her.

William said nothing, taking in the scene. Moments later he stepped forward, walked up to Scully and wrapped his arms around her wordlessly. The move brought fresh tears to her eyes and a lump to Mulder's throat.

"I'm ok," Scully insisted, sounding very much not ok.

"I'm sorry that coming here has upset you," William said finally. "I just thought it might be cool to hang out."

"You haven't upset me," said Scully, beating Mulder to it. "We love spending time with you, it's just hard to realize everything we've missed out on. I've never stopped feeling guilty about what I did," she continued. "And I don't think that will ever stop."

"You shouldn't," Will protested. "I know why you do, and I know now why you had to put me up for adoption. I wish we could have spent more time together and that I'd gotten to know you both before now, but the way I see it is that I'm lucky. Some kids don't even have two cool parents, but I have four."

It was the right thing to say, and Mulder smiled at the image of their son comforting his mom. "I don't blame you for what you did, and I don't hate you. I've never hated you, so you should stop hating yourself. I don't want you to regret coming here, but if you do –"

"No," Mulder and Scully answered at the same time. "We don't."

"Good, because I like hanging out with you guys and getting to know you, and I want you to see that I've been happy and my other parents have treated me well. But I'm happier now," he quickly added. "And I like having you here. Plus you still haven't met my friends yet. They already think I'm making you up."

Both Mulder and Scully laughed. "Well we can't have that, can we?" said Scully, squeezing her son.

"We're not going anywhere," Mulder agreed.

"I'm sorry," Scully continued. "Looking through those pictures just brought back a lot of memories. I'm sorry for worrying you, but Mulder's right, we're not going anywhere. This week we're all yours."

Nodding, William embraced his mom once more. "Thank you."

But as she hugged her son back, Scully realized it should have been her thanking Will for letting them both back in.


	6. Chapter 6

Mulder tore his attention away from the television as he heard Scully descending the stairs. Dagoo stirred on his lap but didn't move at the sight of his other owner coming into view. "S'up Doc?" Mulder sat up straighter in his seat, the move pushing Dagoo from his spot. The dog sighed and jumped down onto the floor, sniffed and then headed towards the kitchen in search of food. "Where are you going?" Mulder asked Scully, an edge of panic in his voice as he took in her appearance, the car keys she was holding in her hand. "You're heading back to your apartment already?"

Scully had stayed over the previous evening, as she had done the previous Saturday, and in fact every Saturday for the past few months, and the odd weeknight too, when Mulder wasn't staying over at her apartment in DC. When they returned home from Wyoming after they'd visited William for the first time, Mulder and Scully decided to spend some more time together outside of work. Mulder's recent near-death experience compiled with being reunited with their son – a son who was desperate to see his parents get back together – gave them the push they needed to agree to give things another go. Mulder was continuing his therapy, and he and Scully had attended some couple's counselling sessions too to try and work through some of the guilt caused by William's adoption. Things weren't perfect and they still had a long way to go, but they were improving.

But usually Sundays were a relaxing day for Mulder and Scully. A lazy morning with breakfast in bed, a spot of housework, a visit to the grocery store and a long walk with the dog, dinner and then Scully returning to her own apartment, ready for another week. Today though, it appeared that Scully had other ideas.

"I'm just heading out."

Mulder's eyes flicked over towards the clock. "Now? How long will you be?"

"I'm not sure," Scully answered impatiently.

"Where are you going?"

She took a deep breath and Mulder prepared himself for her wrath, for her to inform him that it was none of his business. "It's Mother's Day."

Mulder paused, as his partner ducked her gaze, chewing her lip nervously. "Right."

Mother's Day. It was different for Scully this year for so many reasons. It was the first year that William was back in her life, albeit living across country, but it was also the first year without Maggie. Suddenly Mulder realized exactly where Scully was headed: to the spot where almost a year ago they'd scattered her mom's ashes. "Do you want some company?"

Scully didn't look too sure either way.

"Of if you want to be alone I can drive you and give you some space?"

She considered his proposition and, after a moment, nodded. "A lift would be good, thank you."

"Ok." Another glance at the clock. "We could have some lunch and then head out?"

"I was thinking we could eat out on the way back?" Sensing Mulder's reluctance, Scully sighed. "It's ok, you don't have to come if you don't –"

"I want to Scully, I'm just…expecting a delivery."

"A delivery?" This time Scully allowed herself a small smile. "Have you been abusing Amazon again?"

"This is better than Amazon Scully, I assure you."

"Do I even want to know?"

Mulder got to his feet and turned to look out of the window. "You won't have to wait long," he teased as he saw the delivery vehicle heading along the track towards the house. Before Scully could step forward to see for herself, Mulder took hold of her hand and pulled her in towards him. "Hopefully you like it," he added, leaning in to kiss Scully as the vehicle pulled up to a stop outside of the house. They both heard footsteps before there was a knock on the door. Mulder pulled back. "It's for you," he said with a smirk.

"What?"

"Get the door Scully."

"What are you up to?"

There was another knock at the door. "Go Scully, you can thank me later."

A confused and somewhat skeptical Scully walked over towards the front door. "Why do I have a feeling that I'm going to regret this?"

"You're more likely to regret not opening the door Scully. Trust me, it's a good surprise."

Scully looked as though she was considering arguing further, but then changed her mind and threw open the door. "Hello…oh my goodness!"

As Mulder looked on, Scully stood rooted to the spot, taking in the sight of their visitor.

"Hi."

On the doorstep stood a beaming William, flowers in one hand and a card in the other, which he immediately thrust out towards her. "Happy Mother's Day!"

Xxxxx

"This place is so cool," William commented, as he and Scully wandered along the shoreline. Behind them followed Michael, Sue and Mulder, though they gave the two of them space to talk. Earlier, once Scully had gotten over the shock of seeing her son standing on the doorstep, William announced that he was there to take her and his other mom out to lunch to celebrate Mother's Day. It had been a surprise that William had planned with Mulder, with the support of his other parents. The three of them were going to be in town for the next week, while Scully herself had a few days off from work, thanks to Mulder requesting it for her behind her back. The five of them had travelled to a restaurant in Virginia, where they'd spent a few hours eating, drinking and catching up on one another's lives. After lunch Mulder, aware that Scully wanted to visit the spot where they'd scattered Maggie's ashes, suggested that they take a break, but William, when learning where his mom wanted to go, asked to go with them. And here they were.

"It is, isn't it?"

"Did your…did my…"

"Your Grandma."

"Yeah. Did she come here a lot?"

"A few times," Scully admitted. "She always wanted her ashes scattered near the water."

"What was she like? Your mom, my grandma?"

"She was..." Scully took a deep breath. "She was everything," she replied, her voice a little shaky. Sometimes it was still hard to talk about Maggie in the past tense. "She was beautiful and kind and welcoming. She was harsh sometimes but fair and understanding. She was supportive of me even when she didn't agree with my actions. When I...when I gave you up she couldn't understand why, but she never stopped loving me."

"Isn't that what moms do?" William asked. "They love you unconditionally."

Scully nodded, smiling sadly. "They certainly do."

"Maybe she understood better than you thought..." he continued. "She must have known that I wasn't safe."

"She did, but she also knew that it was a mother's job to keep her baby safe."

"Please stop blaming yourself," William said suddenly. "I know that you think you did the wrong thing, but none of us hate you. I don't, and my...Mulder doesn't, and I'm sure my grandma didn't either. I know it still makes you sad, but you deserve to be happy, you both do." Another question suddenly popped into William's mind. "You were at Mulder's house today."

"Hmm?"

"Last time you were here you were at your apartment. Today you weren't." He grinned. "Does that mean you two are back together?"

Feeling her cheeks redden, Scully continued. "Your grandma would have loved you. She did love you."

"Don't change the subject."

"It's complicated."

"He loves you. You love him. You're married."

"He...I...I know."

"So are you getting back together?"

"I...It takes time William."

"So-"

"We're taking things slowly. We've both been through a lot in our lives and we're working through that. But yes, I think we are slowly drifting back together."

William's smile widened. "If you guys renew your vows, can I come to the wedding?"

"William..." Chuckling, Scully shook her head. "We're far too old for that. It was low key enough the first time around." She paused as she saw the hope in her son's blue eyes. "But yes, if ever we lose our minds and decide to do that, you'll be the first person we invite."

"Good."

"I mean it though, your Grandma would have been so proud of the young man you've become William. We're all proud of you."

"Do you think my Grandpa would have liked me?"

"He'd have loved you. I think you'd have got on well."

"Did he and Mulder get along?"

"They never met," Scully replied. "And honestly, I'm not sure. They're similar in a way and your dad he...our work brought us both into danger, and I think your Grandpa would have blamed him in a way for the things that happened."

"Like Bill."

"Like Bill," Scully agreed. "But I think eventually, like Bill, he would have seen how much Mulder loves me and loves you. Your father and Bill aren't the best of friends, but they tolerate one another now."

"Enough for Bill to come to your second wedding?"

"He would if he got to meet y- Ok stop it young man, there isn't going to be a second wedding." They were both laughing now. There was no doubting whose son William was. He may have inherited his mom's looks, but he definitely had his dad's personality and determination.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you. Today has been great William, the best surprise I could have ever asked for."

"The best Mother's Day."

"The best," Scully replied, trying not to let her thoughts ruin the moment. It had been the only Mother's Day she'd spent with her son. The first few years after William had been adopted had been a write-off, with Scully often curling up underneath the blankets and refusing to come out, crying until her body was spent and her tears had soaked through the sheets. As time went on she tried to put the day out of her mind, unwilling to think about her little boy celebrating the day with his other family. Now though, things we different, they could all celebrate together, and she wasn't sure she could ever thank Sue enough for sharing her son with her.

"Maybe this could be our thing from now on," Will offered, almost shyly.

"Hmm?"

"Maybe we could all spend Mother's Day together from now on. Father's Day too."

Scully smiled. Mulder would love that, and of course she would too. "That depends on your parents Will," she replied cautiously, even though she desperately wanted to agree straight away. "Mulder and I love spending time with you, but we don't want to put them out. But there'll be other times, I promise, and -"

"They said it was ok," interrupted the teenager, smiling over at his mom. "I knew you'd say that, so I checked with them first."

"Really?"

"Yeah. To be honest I think they're just relieved I'm still willing to spend any time with them. A lot of my friends think their parents are uncool."

"Oh I remember thinking the same of my own parents." William shifted impatiently, and Scully knew her son was anxious for her answer. "Well, if it's ok with you and your parents, we'd love that, and we're willing to come and visit you guys, or meet you somewhere that's con..." She broke off as her son leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around her. Smiling to herself, Scully hugged him back, never tiring of the feeling of holding her son in her arms. "I love you sweetheart," she whispered, running a hand through William's hair.

"Love you too mom," he replied, and for a moment Scully forgot how to breathe. She appreciated the flowers that William had brought her earlier that morning, and was grateful beyond belief for the fact that he'd wanted to celebrate Mother's Day with her but this...those words were the best present she could ever ask for. She half wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but then figured if she was then she never wanted the dream to end.

When the hug was over and the two of them felt it was time to move on, they strolled back along the shoreline, arm in arm, to where Mulder and William's parents were patiently waiting for them. William had been right, Scully discovered. Sue and Michael were willing to let their son spend time with his other mom and dad during various celebrations and holidays throughout the year, giving them the opportunity to learn more about one another, and make up - in some way - for the time they'd missed. The virus that had killed many and almost taken Mulder was horrific, but the one good thing that came out of it was that he and Scully had finally been reunited with their son. And after years of pain, misery and suffering, things were finally, finally looking up.

 **I can't decide if this is the end of if there'll be one more chapter. But either way, the end is nigh.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Hey mom."

Scully spun round in her seat to see her entering the room. She smiled up at him. "Hey sweetheart." The endearment came naturally to her, not that she was surprised. It had been almost three years since William had entered their lives once again, and it was almost as though he'd never left them. Over the years they'd also become firm friends with William's parents, and had got to know his friends and extended family too. As promised, Mulder and Scully spent every vacation, holiday and special occasion with their son and his other parents. When they weren't with William they spoke to him regularly, Mulder having finally mastered how to use Skype. And it was about to get better. William would be starting college in the autumn, and had chosen to attend the University of Virginia for a Psychology degree. Though he could have gone to college a little closer to home, he'd opted for one near to his birth parents, wanting to spend time with them. And to top it off, he'd shunned the idea of living on campus to live with his parents, for the time being at least. Finally they were going to be a "real" family, and none of them could wait.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good."

"Good. Dad's almost ready to go."

"Where is he?"

"He's with Uncle Bill and my other dad." William noticed his mom's expression. "Don't panic, mom and Aunt Tara are umpiring."

"Oh god."

William chuckled. "It's ok, before I left them alone I heard Aunt Tara threatening Bill if he was anything but polite. I figured it was safe."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Dad said he's ready when you are."

"Ok, I'll be down in a second."

William smiled. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous?" Scully shook her head, but didn't look so sure. "We have done this before you know."

It was the day that William in particular had been looking forward to, his mom and dad finally renewing their wedding vows. When they were all together at Christmas, Mulder had proposed – again – to his wife, and she'd agreed. After all, they'd officially been living together for the best part of two-and-a-half years now, most of which William had been pestering them to make it official. Again. Their original wedding was a very small affair, with just Maggie and Skinner, but today it was going to be very different, in more ways than one. Skinner was attending once again, and this time he would be joined by not only William and his family, but also Bill, Tara and their sons. No one was more surprised than Mulder and Scully when Bill offered to attend, and Scully presumed it was her sister-in-law's idea – after all, Maggie wouldn't be there for their big day, it was only right that Scully should have some family members there. Besides, Matthew and his younger brother Adam liked spending time with their cousin, and William, unlike his father, warmed to all members of his extended family, including Bill.

"I know, but it's bigger this time." Bigger consisted of the yard of the unremarkable house, which had been decorated for the occasion. Rather than a dull, cramped registry office, they were marrying out in the open, and thankfully the weather was cooperating with them.

"Is your dad nervous?"

"A little," William admitted. "He keeps fiddling with his tie and I keep telling him to stop it."

"At least you're on my side."

"Always."

Smiling, Scully got to her feet, smoothed down her dress, and walked over to her son. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "In more ways than one."

William rolled his eyes, but Scully could tell that her words meant a lot to him. "You're not going to get sappy on me now are you?"

"A little. That's what embarrassing moms do. I'll make it quick though," she added. "And it's just a thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here, for everything you've done. You know, before you came back into our lives, your dad and I weren't in a great place but you helped bring some light into our lives. And you certainly encouraged us to get back together. Thank you for not hating us –"

"Mom –"

"I mean it. I wouldn't have blamed you if you did. You're such a kind, warm young man William, and your dad and I, well, and your other parents, are so proud of you."

"C'mon."

"No, it's my wedding day and I say what I like. We're proud of you, and we love you. There," she said triumphantly. "I'm done."

"Good," William joked. "And I love you too, and I'm proud of you guys. I'm happy for you too," he added. "And I'm looking forward to August."

"Me too."

"As long as you're not going to be this mushy all the time."

Chuckling, Scully shook her head. "Are you kidding me? With all the food you'll eat and laundry and mess you'll create, I'll be yelling at you non-stop."

William grinned. "I can't wait."

Scully caught sight of the clock sitting on the bedside table. "I guess I've kept your dad waiting long enough."

"I'll go get him."

"I'll see you down there."

William nodded. "You look pretty mom." Kissing her cheek, William then turned and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Scully to count her blessings.

Xxxxxx

Scully was putting the finishing touches to her mascara when she heard a tap at the door behind her. "Knock knock."

"Hey," Scully replied as her brother came into view in the mirror.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure, I'll just be a second." When she was done, Scully turned to face her brother in the doorway. "If Mulder sent you, don't panic, I'm on my way."

"He didn't actually."

"Oh." Getting to her feet, Scully glanced around her, mentally checking she had everything, bar her flowers. "Is everything ok?" As she walked towards Bill, she sensed her brother's nervousness. For a moment she wondered whether he was there to try and warn her off marrying Mulder until she realized he was far too late for that, and he knew it. "Bill?"

"I umm…I know I'm asking a lot, especially after my attitude over the years, but I was wondering whether you needed…well wanted someone…me…to give you away?"

It certainly wasn't what she was expecting. "Really?"

He was flustered now, struggling for words. "I presumed Will was going to walk you down the aisle."

Scully shook her head. "He's Mulder's best man."

"He told me. I know that it should be mom or dad here giving you away but…if you'd like someone to walk with you…family…it would be my pleasure…but if you don't –"

Not quite trusting herself to speak, Scully reached out to grab hold of his hand. "I'd like that very much," she whispered, feeling her throat tighten. She willed herself not to cry, not now, as hard as it was. Although she felt incredibly grateful to have her family and friends gathered round her, she couldn't help but miss her mom and dad. She sniffed. "I umm…I just need my bouquet."

Nodding, Bill watched his sister retrieve her bouquet and then walk back over to him. "Ok, I'm ready."

"Dana…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm happy for you." Noticing his sister's skeptical expression, he continued. "I may not have been Mulder's number one fan, and I can't say we'll ever be best friends, but I can see he makes you happy, and if you're happy, I'm happy for you. And I'm glad you have William back in your lives. I know at the time I couldn't understand why you did what you did…" That was an understatement, Scully thought, remembering period they'd gone without speaking, even when Mulder and Scully returned to normal life. "…But he's a great kid, and I'm pleased you're all together. Mom would be over the moon too."

"I miss her so much."

Bill nodded once more. "Me too. She'd be proud of you, and I know I have a funny way of showing it sometimes, but I am too."

"It means a lot." Lifting her hand, Scully hastily wiped away a tear before it could fall.

"Hey, don't you go crying now. I'm not having Mulder accuse me of upsetting the bride," he joked, as Scully slapped his arm playfully. "C'mon," he said, holding out his arm. "Let's go before he comes looking for you."

"Thank you Bill," Scully replied earnestly. "For everything." After a quick hug, she linked her arm around her brother's, and then walked out of the room, ready to celebrate her wedding day.

Xxxxxx

"Did she look ok?"

"She looked fine. Great."

"Did she sound ok? What did she say?"

"Dad!" William rolled his eyes, unable to conceal his smirk.

"What did she say?"

"She said that after all these years she's finally come to her senses and she's leaving you." When Mulder didn't appear to get the joke, William shook his head, exasperated. "C'mon I was kidding. She sounded fine and said she'll be down in a second. When I came downstairs Bill was just heading up."

"Maybe he's told her not to marry me."

"Isn't it a bit late?"

"That wouldn't stop your Uncle Bill."

"Stop panicking, you're just nervous, but you don't have any reason to be."

"I'm not –" Mulder paused as he saw William look up towards the house, his smile widening. "What?"

"You can stop panicking because she's on her way."

Following William's gaze, Mulder turned to see his wife – his bride – walking down the makeshift aisle towards him, arm in arm with Bill. He barely had time to realize that Bill was giving his sister away – and smiling at the fact too – when his eyes landed on Scully. Clad in a plain, knee-length ivory dress with her hair swept back and pinned up, she looked stunning, and as young as the day he'd met her, if that was even possible. She too appeared nervous, but as she met his eye Scully relaxed and smiled over at him, instantly putting him at ease, as she always did. As she reached his side, Mulder reluctantly tore his eyes away from his bride and turned his attention to Bill. In a move that surprised Mulder, but seemingly no one else around him, Bill reached out his hand in invitation. Mulder shook it, as Scully's brother spoke. "Congratulations Mulder. I'm happy for you both." As Bill let go of his hand and moved to peck his sister on the cheek, Scully shot Mulder a warning look, telling him to go with it. "Thanks," he murmured, before returning his gaze to his bride. He raised his eyebrows, smiling at her. "You ready for this?" He asked, half joking.

Scully looked up at her smiling husband, with their son standing next to them looking on proudly. Feeling the emotion threatening to overwhelm her once again, she nodded, then took a deep breath as the ceremony began, and they committed to spending the rest of their lives with one another in front of their friends and family.

 **The End.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it!**


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